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ταμεῖον

tameîon

G5009 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An inner room, chamber, or private space within a house, typically one set apart for storage or seclusion; by extension, any interior or hidden room. In some contexts, refers to a storeroom or treasury, but most often indicates a secluded, private space within a dwelling, used for privacy, safekeeping, or retreat.

Semantic Range

inner room, private chamber, closet, storeroom, treasure room, secret place, secluded apartment

Root / Etymology

From the root ταμείον or earlier ταμεῖον, derived from the verb τέμνω (to cut) with the sense of 'a place cut off' or partitioned; related to ταμίας (steward, house manager), associating the term with the idea of a keeper of a private or secure space. Ultimately, connected to the Indo-European root for 'to cut' or 'to separate'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ταμεῖον referred to an inner room of a house, especially a strongroom or treasury where valuables and supplies were kept; its usage later expanded to mean any private or secluded chamber. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, including the era of the New Testament, it referred to a private room within the home, often without exterior windows, used for storage, privacy, or as a retreat from the public areas of the house. In the New Testament, e.g., Matt 6:6, it designates a location for private activity (such as prayer), contrasting public spaces with interior seclusion. LXX usage is similar, often denoting an inner room used for strategic or confidential purposes (e.g., Judges 3:24). Standard English translations vary between 'closet,' 'inner room,' 'private room,' and 'storeroom,' but none fully convey the architectural or social nuance of the term as an interior, hidden sanctuary within ancient houses, often associated with secrecy, security, or privacy.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

neuter contraction of a presumed derivative of (a dispenser or distributor; akin to , to cut); a dispensary or magazine, i.e. a chamber on the ground-floor or interior of an Oriental house (generally used for storage or privacy, a spot for retirement):--secret chamber, closet, storehouse.

Root Family

ταμεῖον (tameion) — cut-off space, partitioned room, private chamber, storeroom, secluded interior

Root ταμ- to cut off, to partition, to keep

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G5009-01 ταμείοις tameiois N DAT N PL inner rooms to inner chambers inner chambers 2
G5009-02 ταμεῖόν tameion N ACC N SG room private inner room private inner room 2

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G5009-02 Matthew 6:6 ταμεῖόν tameion N ACC N SG room private inner room private inner room
G5009-01 Matthew 24:26 ταμείοις tameiois N DAT N PL inner rooms to inner chambers inner chambers
G5009-01 Luke 12:3 ταμείοις tameiois N DAT N PL inner rooms to inner chambers inner chambers
G5009-02 Luke 12:24 ταμεῖον tameion N NOM N SG storeroom private inner room private inner room
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